Spruce root basket - Inartaq
Sheldon Jackson Museum > Sheldon Jackson Museum Ethnographic Alutiiq/Sugpiaq Collection
SJ-II-CC-12
Spruce Root;Grass
Height: 5.25 in.
Diameter: 7.5 in.
20th century
Alutiiq
1908
See file for letter of 11/30/95 with transcription from Kellogg diary. Basket II.CC.11 from same source. According to Ms. Kellogg's diary entries she purchased the Indian baskets on May 31, 1908 in Yakutat; on Aug. 6 in Valdez and Aug. 11 in Juneau.
Slightly faring solid twined spruce root basket with sharply in turned base. The rim is Paul's Border 4. The termination is L/R and tied off with a piece of commercial thread. There are two spaced rounds of 3-strand twining on the base and there are another two rounds immediately above the sharp basal turn. There are another two rounds of 3-strand twining at the rim. The design band is composed of four design elements alternating in stacks of two. The false embroidery is worked in natural and dyed (faded) grass and unknown black material ( horse tail ?) see card illustration for composition of design elements. Tiny flecks of white randomly spaced over the entire design field.